Military Sexual Assault Survivor's Plea For Justice

Military Sexual Assault Survivor's Plea For Justice

WBALÆs Mary Beth Marsden got the chance to speak with The Baltimore SunÆs Matthew Hay Brown about the military justice system. Download This File

(AP Photo)

Baltimore Navy Veteran Brian Lewis told the panel that military officials did nothing to help him after he was raped. Hear his full testimony before the panel. Download This File

One Baltimore Navy Veteran recently testified before a Senate committee about being raped by a fellow Navy sailor.

Brian Lewis told the panel that military officials did nothing to help him after he reported the rape.

ôDuring my tour on USS Frank Cable, I was raped by a superior non-commissioned officer. I was ordered by my command not to report this crime. After this crime had taken place, I was misdiagnosed with a personality disorder. I filed retaliation claims to no avail. I was given a general discharge for a personality disorder in August 2011.ö

WBALÆs Mary Beth Marsden spoke with The Baltimore SunÆs Matthew Hay Brown, who was in the hearing room during Lewis' testimony and wrote about it .

Brown says Lewis is believed to be the first male survivor of rape to testify to the experience before Congress. Lewis said the man who raped him also raped other sailors under the same command.

But Lewis was not the only one who shared his story before the Senate committee. There were also others who testified before the panel.

ôThere were three witnesses on this panel before the Senate committee,ö Brown said. ôEach of them has stories of being sexual assaulted. They told them and they were horrific. They seemed to get most emotional when they talked about how their allegations or accusations were investigated, or not investigated in the cases of the three.ö

Brown says the Pentagon supports a zero tolerance no sexual assault policy. However, during the trial, witnesses told Senators that victims still face a military justice system that may deepen their trauma and make them feel they are to blame.

According to Brown, thereÆs an estimate of a little more than 19,000 assaults have happened in the military. The numbers of men and women who are assaulted are very similar.

Brown says there are some in The Pentagon and in Congress who are concerned about the militaryÆs justice system.

ôThe committee is looking at the issue of sexual assault in the military broadly,ö he said. ôIt is an issue that the Pentagon and Congress is focusing more on.

Brown said on WBAL that thereÆs a growing attention and growing advocacy around the issue of sexual assaults in the military with the hopes that it will change.